1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and device preferably in book form to teach the association of a letter""s (or combination of letters"") alphabetical symbol(s) to its phonetically correct sound, shape and name, and, if a number, to teach the association of a number""s numerical symbol to its shape, name and meaning, in order to facilitate the ability to read and write, utilizing tactile impressions to provide a secure and serviceable memory of letter and number form.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Prior Art devices disclose various devices for learning to read and/or mathematics; whereby the devices are toys, books or computer generated devices, and are designed to help children by either having partial page portions including a picture and letter cards, or computer generated cards or numbers. Some of these devices have different tactile feel for different letters, or a raised character display structure, utilizing Braille dotted textures.
There are several patents that disclose various educational devices with Braille textures. The present invention differs from these in that its texture is not Braille-based. The user of the present invention manually traces the form of the letter (or combination of letters) in one predetermined direction over the letter""s (or combination of letters"") bumpy raised texture in order to provide the user with a secure and serviceable memory of a letter""s (or combination of letters"") attributes (i.e. shape, phonetically correct sound, and name) and, if a number, its attributes of shape, name and meaning. Thus, the user learns to associate the letter(s) or number(s) with these attributes in order to learn to read and write.
The distinct, repeated kinesthetic movements of the user""s fingers on the letter""s bumpy surface provide impression on the user""s nerve tissue that is not eradicated and thus committed to long-term memory. The method of the present device also transfers to the user correct letter or number formation when the user begins to write. Prior art patents concerning educational devices, but not containing the improvements of the present invention are as follows:
1. xe2x80x9cA Multi-sensory Curriculum for Teaching Reading, Spelling, and Handwriting in the Elementary Classroom, A PAF Program, Preventing Academic Failurexe2x80x9d, Phyllis Bertin and Eileen Perlman, Monroe Associates, White Plains, N.Y., USA, 1998, page-1.
2. xe2x80x9cRemedial Training for Children with Specific Disability in Reading, Spelling and Penmanshipxe2x80x9d, Anna Gillingham and Bessie W. Stillman, Educators Publishing Service, Inc., Cambridge, Mass., USA, 1956, page 29-30.
3. xe2x80x9cAngling for Words, The Teacher""s Line, The Teacher""s Guide for Language Trainingxe2x80x9d, Dorothy B. Montgomery, Academic Therapy Publications, Novato Calif., USA, 1975, Pages 2.
4. xe2x80x9cAdvanced Language Tool Kit, Teaching the Structure of the English Languagexe2x80x9d, Paula D. Rome, Jean S. Osman, Educators Publishing Service, Inc., xe2x80x9cMulti-sensory Learning Approach,xe2x80x9d Cambridge, Mass., 2000, pages-9, 13-14.
5. Fisher-Price""s xe2x80x9cPreschool Learning Pad, On My Way to Readingxe2x80x9d, Modern Publishing, N.Y., N.Y., USA 1998, pages 7-9.
Chan, Yin Kit, U.S. Pat. No. 6,030,225 dated Feb. 29, 2000, is a raised character display structure for an educational toy for mathematics to learn counting. It is comprised of layers where the first characters may be viewed through the second character so that the user is provided with the illusion that the second character has the color and pattern of the first character. The present invention differs from Chan""s invention since its user learns to read by tracing the bumpy texture of the character in a predetermined direction. There is no illusion of pattern. The bumpy pattern is on the surface of the present invention""s letters.
Stuart, Gayle J., U.S. Pat. No. 6,050,824 dated Apr. 28, 2000 is a book to learn the letters of the alphabet containing representations of letters of the alphabet in upper and lower cases, wherein each page contains an upper and lower case letters. Each letter (both upper and lower case) has a different appearance and textural feel from the remaining 25 letters of the alphabet. Stuart""s invention differs from the present invention in method and structure. The present invention is a device for learning to read, form words, write the letter or number correctly. Also, the present invention""s letter""s texture is a series of equally spaced bumps which the user""s finger traces in one predetermined direction in order to associate the letters (or combination of letters) with sounds to learn to read. The texture of each letter is not differentiated. The bump of the pattern is uniform for each letter. This reinforces the student""s remembrance of the letter and number with its associated sound, shape, name and meaning.
Perry, Albert William, U.S. Pat. No. 5,993,217, is a learning apparatus for use with a computer comprising a set of tactile cards with Braille dots embossed on its front surface. The computer displays a pre-selected graphic representation of Braille dots embossed on the card corresponding to the discrete keys stroke signal received at the keyport. The present invention differs from Perry""s in that its bumpy pattern is not Braille, and the method of the present invention employs manual tactile senses of the user and is not computer generated.
Shapiro, et. al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,788,503, dated Aug. 4, 1998, is an educational device to help children read, which utilized partial page portions, which can be independently turned, each portion containing a turnable picture and letter cards with consonants, vowels, allowing for the child to make many pronounceable words of varying complexity. Shapiro""s invention differs from the present invention since the tactile sense of the user is not deployed to aid the user""s kinesthetic training, as it deployed in the present invention.
Foster, Ann, U.S. Pat. No. 5,769,639, dated Jun. 23, 1998, is an educational device that teaches mathematics and letters of the alphabet, phonics and consonant blends. The workpieces are in Braille with dots. The present invention differs from Foster""s in that its bumpy texture is not Braille. The present invention employs a directional movement of the user""s fingers in unison along the letter""s bumpy texture with the pronunciation of the phonetically correct sound of the letter (or combination of letters) to learn the association of a letter (or combination of letters) with its attributes of shape, phonetically correct sound, and name, and, if a number, its attributes of name, shape and meaning in order to learn to read or write.
Similarly, while the cited books in the prior art teach multi-sensory learning, they do not combine the multi-sensory method and textured letter device of the present invention in order to teach reading and writing.
Accordingly, besides the distinctions from the prior art stated above, several objects and advantages of the present invention are:
To provide for a device wherein the learning of reading and writing by association of a letter (or combination of letters) with its attributes (shape, phonetically correct sound, and name), and, if a number, with its attributes of shape, name and meaning, is contained in one easily transportable form;
To provide for a device wherein the teacher (usually an adult user) can become proficient in the devices method of teaching reading and writing quickly;
To provide for a device wherein the teacher (usually an adult user) can become proficient in the device""s method of teaching reading and writing without having to obtain prerequisite professional certifications or degrees;
To provide for a device wherein the teacher (usually a layperson) utilizes the device""s multi-sensory phonetic textbook style learning brought home or in a non-institutional educational setting to facilitate reading and writing;
To provide for a device wherein the letters and/or numbers have a raised pattern, so as to be distinctly different in texture and kinesthetically recognizable to the user in order to provide impressions on the user""s nerve tissue that are never fully eradicated from long term memory which allows for reinforcement of the correct letter and number formation when the user begins to read and write;
To provide for a device wherein the simultaneous linkage of all intake pathways to the brain are utilized, once the user sees and hears as they make the letter""s (or combination of letters"") phonetically correct sounds with their mouth and trace its shape with their fingers, the user learns to relate the various attributes of a given letter(s) (i.e., shape, phonetically correct sound, name), and, if a number, its attributes of shape, name and meaning, thereby enabling the user to blend these sounds to form words in order to read and write;
To provide for a device wherein the teacher (usually an adult) can have the child user seated on their lap, which position aids in increasing the child""s attention span and facilitates learning.